ECOEUROwieś :: Stowarzyszenie wspierania i rozwoju wsi

Gross National Happiness

The idea of Gross National Happiness every day is becoming more and more interesting all over the world – it is an attempt to define quality of life. The first to conduct the idea was a small country cold Butan. The king of Butan in 1972 came to the conclusion that he is not only interested I the state of economy but he would also like to know and measure somehow if the people in his country are happy – that is how the idea of Gross National Happiness came in life. Now every half year Butan is measuring the happiness by asking each of its citizens one question “are you happy?” – the answer is on the scale 1-10.

Each time the GNH is growing the king knows that his people have high quality of life – not only that the economy grows but also that the spirit of nation is in good condition. The GNP (Gross National Product) that was used previously could show only the economical site not the spiritual. Now the Metru Karma Galay – an economist from Bhutan institute Centre for Bhutan Studiem and Sander Tidman from Gross International Happiness Network are the two who goes around the world with lectures about Gross National Happiness and its importance for the nations.

We – the youth connected with Stowarzyszenie Wspeirania i Rozwoju Wsi “Ecoeurowieś” are also up to putting in life the idea begun in Bhutan. Together with our friends from Czech Republic, Lithuania and France during the international youth exchange that took place in July 2009 in Nowa Wieś (Dziećmorowice) we were getting to know something more on the topic of Gross National Happiness connected with sustainable development and Civil society. We were getting to know how does the idea of Gross National Happiness influences economy and people living on he Earth. We learnt that we can not lead life that is based on consumerism – it means that we have to live in companionship with the nature and each other. We have learnt that not changing anything will destroy our planet and ourselves – we have learnt how important it is to reduce the use of natural goods, reuse and recycle. We have learnt about the ways of helping to preserve the Earth – reducing pollution and using the renewable sources of energy. We have learnt what w can gain from Earth without destroying it. That is why we scream loudly – stop with polluting our planet, stop with devastating, stop with overmuch exploitation our Planet. We want to live happily in companionship with the nature and with each other.

The idea of sustainable development tells us how to improve our lives – it tells us that preserving the Earth is possible and gives us the rules that have to be obeyed. We have to recycle, reduce and reuse. It is obvious that we need the wood that is why while taking one tree we have to plan two new. We planted the trees during our international exchange. We should use the renewable sources of energy – the sun energy to make the water worm and gain energy, the geothermal energy, water energy and others that are given to us by the nature.

Our international exchange was able to take place thanks to The Stowarzyszenie Wspierania i Rozwoju Wsi “Ecoeurowieś”, Youth Program, WFOŚ from Wałbrzych and Gmienie Walim. We are obliged to promote the idea of Gross National Happiness altogether with sustainable development between our friends, young and adult citizens, businessmen and local authorities.